Box-end-sealing machine



' w. PEET. BOX END SEALING MACHINE.

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BOX END SEALING MACHINE. APPLICATION F|LEnJuNE18.1919.

1,349,432. l Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

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AB0X END SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATIUN FILED JUNE 18, |919.

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A INVENTOR Maf/1555 WML/AM FEET ATTORNEYS MOMM B/YMMJ Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM FEET, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI;

BOX-END-SEALING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 18, 1919. Serial No. 305,082.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, lViLLrAM Pnnr, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Box-ncl-Sealiiig Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements ,in machines for sealing the closure flaps of boxes or cartons such as paper boxes and has for one of its objects the provision of a machine of this character which will be compact, inexpensive in construction and operation, and capableof rapidly and eifectively sealing boxes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which provides for the .setting ofthe adhesive used to seal the closure laps, there being provided means for applying pressure to the flaps and holding them under pressure so as to facilitate such setting and :insure a tight and reliable sealing of the linother object of the invention is to provide novel means for controlling the operation of the machine so that the speed of the machine and rapidity with which the boxes are sealed may be varied at will by the operator, the feeding lof the boxes and the folding of the flaps thereof being done by the operator.

The inventiony possesses other advanta geous features, some of which, with -the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full, that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. In said drawings l have shown one form of the device of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form, since the invention, as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of other forms.

Referring to the drawings:

F igure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, being broken away in part for the sake of clearness of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the means for vcontrolling the speed of operationof the cipally comprises a rotary frame carryingmembers for supporting boxes to be sealed and means for applying pressure to the folded bottom closure flaps of the boxes so as to cause the adhesive to set and insure a reliable and in fact a permanent sealing of such `flaps. There is also provided mfeans for varying the speed of rotation of the frame which is in the form of a clutch and acts to intermittently transmit rotatory movement to the frame so that the supporting members advance one at a time past a point at which the operator stands. As each supporting member is presented to the operator he places a box thereon, applies adhesive material to the flaps, folds the flaps into position and operates the pressure applying means so as to apply pressure to the thus folded flaps. The box thus sealed is carried around with the frame and Vwhen again opposite the operator the adhesive has had time toset and the llaps will remain securely sealed. l

In the construction of the machine there is provided a frame 6 which is preferably cir cular and rotatably supported on a circular track 7, by rollers 8, said rollers being secured to the low-er side of the frame by brackets 9. The frame comprises two annular plates 10 and 11 arranged one above the other in parallel relation and joined by vertical posts or rods l2. Brace bars 12 are secured to the rods 12 between the plates 10 and 11. Carried upon the frame 6 is the means for supporting boxes to be sealed. and said means consistsv of a plurality of supporting members 13 which are pivotally mounted upon the plate 11 of the frame and arranged to swing outwardly away from the periphery of the frame in order that boxes may be placed thereon and removed there-` from. Each member 13 preferably comprises a pair of vertical spaced and parallel rods 14 which are hinged at 15 to the plate Patented` Aug. 10,1920.

11 of the frame. Mounted upon these rods are supporting plates 16 and 17 arranged one above the other.A 4rThe plate 1.6 is substantially equalY in size to the inside area oi. the boxes and the flaps of the boxes. are iolded upon said plate. The plate 17 is longer than the boxes are wide and the lower' of the boxes rest on this Vplate as shown in 2. These plates are so spaced apart that when the edges of the box rest on the plate 17 the flaps on the upper side of the box may be folded in and will be supported by the plateA 16 which plate lies within the box. The plates 17 have apertured bosses therein 16 through which the rods 14 extend and set screws 19hold the plates in position upon said rods. Thus the plates 17 are adjustable and provide for the operation of the machine with boxes ot various sizes. rThe plates 16 are removably secured to the rods 14 by set screws 2O so as to permit of the use or' different sized plates in accordance with the size of the boxes to be sealed by the machine. There are provided stop members 21 which are secured to the rods 12 and embrace the Vrods 14. These stop membersextend outresilient substantially U shaped spring metal bars 22 which are removably secured intermediate to their ends as at 23 to the brace bars-12 as shown in Fig. 1v and have their portions 24 parallel except at their 'free ends which endsdiverge outwardly. vThese'arms are spaced apart so as to engage and clamp the sides ot aV box to be sealed and when the members 13 are moved into verticalposition the boxes thereon will extend and be held between and by the arms 24 ci said members 22. -v Y The means. for applying pressure to the folded flaps Vand for sealing the boxes is mounted upon the plate 10 ot the traine and comprises a plurality of independentv pressure or'sealing Ydevices 25 spaced apart to Y correspond to the spacing of the members 1 13. Each of the devices 25 comprises a flat Vso pressure or sealing plate 26 supported by a rod 27. i Therod 27 is vertically slidably mounted in the plate 10 and' extends above said plate into and through a cylindrical casing or housing 28. This casing is mounted in a supporting plate 29 therefor and which isV secured to the plate 16.

.- Mounted inthe casing'28 isan expansion helical spring 30. The upper end of this spring is engaged by a cross piece or head 31 which head, is secured to the upper end of the rod 27, holds the spring in place and operates in opposed slots .32 formed in the said. casing 28. The spring tends to urge the rod 27 and plate 26 upwardly out of the extremities of the v cam surfaces thereof so as'to limit themovement of the cam in both directions. The vcam rides upon the upper end of the rod 27 and the pin'37 on which the cam turns is located off center so that when the handle is moved into upor vertical position'the cam allows the spring 3() to urge the rod 27 and plate 26 upwardly and out of operative position whereas when the handle isV moved into horizontal position the cam forces the rod and plate downwardly intooperative position against the action of the spring 30. There may be provided a guide rod 38 secured to the plate 26 and extending upwardly through an opening 89 Vin the plate 10; lNhen the plates 16 and 26 are in the position shown in F ig. 2 the iiaps are pressed between the plates and the sealing .of the flaps is effected.

Mounted upon the supporting surface 40 which supports the track 7 is a motor 41. having a drive shaft 41 which carries a worm 43. A worm wheel 44 is mounted on the support 40 and is driven by saidworm 43. Rotatably mounted asiat 45 'at one end, centrally of the track 7 or the support 40 is an arm 46 the other end of which is disposed so as to lie close to the plate 11. A slot 47- is formed in this Varm and receives a block 48 slidably mounted therein and which is secured to the worm wheel 44. llhen the wheel turns, the block and slot arrangement cause the arm to oscillate.

The arm is provided with means for connecting the frame 6 therewith so as to trans-k p constitute the mea-ns for operatively connecting the motor with the frame so as to produceV intermittent rotation' or movement of said frame, and there is provided means for throwing this connecting means out of op.V eration and for holding suchr means in inoperative position. Thisjlatter means constitutes a trip member 53 which is pivoted as at 54 upon the support 40 and is arranged to engage the pawl 49 so as to move said pawl out of engagement with the notches 51. A pedal is pivotally mounted as at 5G' on the supporte() and a linlr or bar 57 connects the pedal with the trip. This pedal when depressed pulls on the bar 5T which moves the trip so that the pawl e9 is engaged and moved out'of the notch 51.

ln the operation of the machine the operator stands near the pedal 55 and when the motor is running the arm -lh is oscill ated from right to left so that the pawl L19 will engage in one of the notches 51 and move the frame a distance equal to the degree of movement of the arm in one direction. T he notches are so arranged that each time the arm 116 moved to the left the frame is liliewise moved or rotated. Thus the members 13 are intermittently brought opposite the operator and at the beginning of the operation of the machine the operator places a box such as the one 5S upon the adjacent member 13 so that the box passes over the plates 16 and the lower edges of the box rest upon the plates 17. The naps of the upper side of the box are extended above the plate 1G and the operator applies adhesive material thereto and then folds the AFlaps, one upon the other in the ordinary manner. The members 13 lie in their outwardly inclined positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when empty, and are thus accessible to the operator, lifter the flaps are folded the members 13 and the box are pushed into position to seal the -flaps and the bars 22 embrace the side of the box and hold it in position. T he handle 34.- of the member 33 is pulled down by the operator causing' the plate 26 with the plate 16 to press and seal the liaps. The operations of putting the box on the support, pushing the support and box in place and moving` the pressure plate into position are done between movements of the frame, suilicient time being provided, by the spacing of the notches 51, to permit of these operations.

After operating the pressure device 25 the box thus operated upon is carried around with the frame and when again presented opposite the operator is removed, it having been held in the machine under pressure suliiciently long to insure the setting of the adhesive and provide for a. reliable sealing of the flaps.

To remove the box the operator pushes upwardly on the handle 34tof the cam 33 and this allows the spring 30 to force the rod 27 and plate 26 upwardly, the latter away from the flaps. TheV member 13 is then pulled outwardly to its inclined position and the box may be readily removed so that new unsealed box may be placed on said member 13. The operator has sufficient time to remove the box and place an unsealed box in position before the next advancement of the frame is elfected.

The operator may, if it becomes necessary to prevent motion or advancement of the frame, press upon the pedal 55 and cause the trip 53 to engage and move the pawl i9 into such position that it will not engage in the notch 51 with which it is timed to en gage, or if engaged in one of the notches the trip will move the pawl out of such engagement and stop operation of the frame. The arm i6 will oscillate freely and not transmit motion to the frame when the pawl 119 is thus held. The spring 52 will serve to move the pawl back into operative position when the pedal 53 is released and the movement of the frame will continue. In this manner it will be seen that the operator may, as each of the members 13 is presented, place boxes upon such members and seal the flaps. After the boxes are sealed and again presented to the operator,having been carried around with the frame, the operator effects the removal of the boxes thus sealed and the positioning of new boxes to be sealed by the machine, this cycle of operation being continuous.

VRrpidity of operation is facilitated by having the stops 35 and 36 on the cam 33 and by providing the stop'` members V21. The stops 35 permit of the handle 34 being grasped and' quickly moved into eitherposition and this is true of the membersl with relation to the stops 21.

This machine while especially designed for sealing the bottom iiaps of paper boxes or cartons may be otherwise used as will be oln'ious. However the sealing provided by this machine is of a somewhat permanent nat-ure since the bottom flaps of such boxes seldom need be opened or unsealed. By Vmrovsion of adjustability of the various elements of the machine boxes of various sizes and shapes may be operated upon or sealed,

Referring particularly to Figs. 4: and 5 wherein there is illustrated a modified form of the invention there is provided a frame 60 which comprises upper and lower frame members 61 and 62 each comprising a pair of annular angle iron rings 63. These rings are Iioined by spaced plates 64E and certain of the plates on the lower frame members are notched as at 65 so as to cooperate with the iioerzitimg means not shown in this form of the invention. These frame members 61 and 52 are joined by crossed brace bars 66 and by vertical bars 67. 1n all other respects this form will correspond to the preferred form, the modification residing in the frame of the machine alone.

I claim:

1. A. machine for sealing the flaps of boxes comprisingI a frame, members for supporting boxes to be sealed carried upon the frame, means for moving said frame to present the supportingmembers one at a time toa point at which an operatorie stationed, pressure devices 'for applying pressure to and sealing the flaps, said supporting members being mounted to swing outwardly away from the frame, in receiving boxes and upon the removalof boxes therefrom, and means to engage the boxes and releasingly hold them and the supporting mem bers in uprightposition during the sealing operation. Y'

2. In a device of the character described a frame, a plurality of box supporting members, arranged on said frame, a plurality of pressure applying Vdevices for sealing the iaps of b'oxesmounted on the frame over the supporting members, means to rotate the frame, said supporting members being mounted to swing outwardly away from the frame and means independentV of the supporting members and pressure devices for engaging the boxes and holding them and the supporting members in position'when the supporting members are swung in toward the rame.` Y

3. In a machine of the character described,

for throwing said last named means into or out of operation.

4i In a machine of the character described, a frame, a plurality of box supporting mem- .bers on said frame, each vof said members members adapted to embrace and hold boxes which are supported by said supporting members.

5. A machine for sealing the flaps of boxes comprising a'frame, devices for applying pressure to and sealing the liaps, members for supporting boxes to be sealed carried by said frame and mounted to swing from out of alinement with said devices, and means independent of said supporting members and pressure devices adapted to engage and hold a box in position when one of said members are alined with a cooperating pressure device. f s

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Kansas City, Kansas, 'this ninth day of J une, 1919. y A

` IVILLIAM PEET. In presence of- Y C. It. RATHBONE, W.- F. ALBRECHT. 

